And that's equally as ridiculous. Maybe the real discussion should be about the stupidity of the fan voting process in the first place. Frankly, if it is ONLY for the fans, they should just allow them to vote for all the players and then it could just be a total fan free-for-all.
altho I think the article is a bit too negative in its tone, I agree that Yao should not be voted in unless he deserves due to play the current season. I just think that if other players are literally more deserving of an all-star game this season because of their play, then they should get what they deserve. Yao had what... 3-4 good years? now he's been gone for 3 years. I know its not full seasons, but it starts feeling like it when youre constantly gone for half or more. Its not his fault, and yes people have the freedom to do what they want, vote how they want. Thats cool, just my say. If Yao comes back and starts playing well, then he'll get his shot for me voting for him... but I cant just blindly vote for him as a Rockets fan anymore. For 1, I dont want to see him get injured in an unimportant game. For 2, there are up-and-coming guys that should get that opportunity and not be held back just because China and Houston love Yao.
So you want to vote him into a completely worthless game and further increase his chances of injury? Great fan of Yao you are!
I actually think it should be that way. Just like it's fans who decide who celebrities are - for better or worst - not because they are the best singers, the best actors, or the best at anything, but because they are the most controversial, the most popular, or the most likable or whatever. If we want the all-star game to be a legit collection of the best players, why even have the fans vote at all?
Since you acknowledge that it is a popularity contest, why should it be measured against the actual stats? Because that is what the media perpetuates and criticizes those deemed unworthy? Who made them the standard for equity and unbiased analysis? Who cares what they criticize? The Allstar weekend is an event made for the fans. To give them a chance to choose and watch their favorite players. It is not some mid-season honor roll for those who have been playing well. If it was, do you really think the NBA would let the fans be a judge of that? I mean come on, most NBA fans don't even know who Marc Gasol is. If you guys want to make it a match between the top players, I'd be all over it. But that is a whole other topic that has nothing to do with Yao. The media could make a big deal out of it, and because they are wrong and misinterpreted the meaning of Allstar weekend we should turn on our own favorite players to appease them? I don't care enough about media perception to do that. Yao is a big boy, I doubt he cares either. If I was a fan of basketball I would be on bbs.basketball.net. I am a fan of the Houston Rockets and that is why I voted for Yao. And Brooks and Scola and Martin. And wrote Lowry in. Do I think any of them are the best at their position? Of course not. But that is NOT what the allstar event is about. I understand where you guys are coming from, I just disagree with the conclusion. On a Rockets board with 40,000 Rockets fans, I can see how some may be offended by Jeff's piece. Honestly, what would you think the reaction be if I posted a thread on "Don't blame me, I would've taken MJ"? You know, coming from a fan of basketball. Put it on the front page and sticky?
This is the real point. And you can already pretty much vote for anyone, since you can write a player in. I did for Lowry and if you think I honestly believe he is the best PG in the West, you'd be the crazy one.
I said that is what it "may" be. MAY. As in, that may be how it's being viewed by the majority, but that's not what the All-Star game is supposed to be. It is billed as the best players of each conference each season. Why else would there be criticism of fan picks that don't align with season performance? Why are the coaches of each conference's team the coaches who have the most wins up until the deadline a couple of weeks before the game? If you think the fan voting is nothing more than a popularity contest, then you won't understand this article at all, but it's plain as day that Jeff is not writing from that perspective. He believes the All-Star game is still what it was intended to be -- the best players.
If Pau Gasol (who has been a center so far into this season) was on the Western Conference Center ballot, I would vote for him without a doubt. But when debating Yao against guys like Emeka Okafor, Marc Gasol, Chris Kaman, Marcus Camby. I have to vote Yao. Per minute, he has been more efficient than all those guys. Maybe you don't vote Yao as "deserving" but seriously, who is? Western Conference center is a joke. Nobody on that ballot "deserves" to be in the All-Star game.
You want to talk about freedom...ok. Yeah you have your freedom to vote for Yao. But the OP also has his freedom to suggest that fans should not vote for Yao. And the owner of the board also has his freedom to decide which thread is sticky. So what's your point?
Really? I am not so sure Wikipedia is were you want to get your definitive NBA info from(or any definitive info). Let's try www.nba.com, maybe they will have some clues for us. Trust me, I understand this article completely. Like I said, I know where you guys are coming from. I also understand that Jeff is writing from another perspective. And it is plain as day that that perspective is wrong. It's ok, we are all human. The All-Star game is exactly what nba.com makes it out to be, a marketing campaign by the league to promote its players by letting fans choose who they WANT to see. If you guys have a problem with that then I'd be glad to hop on board and petition the format with you.
Rocket fans in this town use to believe in things honor respect <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/LXM_uVi7BwY?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LXM_uVi7BwY?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>
The All-Stars Weekend and, by extension, the entire NBA has become a byproduct of nothing more than a money making machine ran by a greedy b*stard called Stern, who is no longer in touch with the essence of basketball. The NBA and the money grubbing owners have changed it into a pageant, but that's not its intentions. The answer I REALLY want to know from both Rockets fans which it applies to and all the dumbass YOF's out there is this: WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO VOTE YAO INTO ANOTHER POINTLESS AND MEANINGLESS GAME WHERE HE INCREASES THE RISK OF INJURING HIMSELF? As a Rocket fan, having Yao play in pointless games (Olympics, national games, All-Stars, ect) increases the chances of him getting injured. That is not good for the team. Why would any of you idiots want that? As a YOF, your whole pathetic and sad life revolves around that guy's career, so why would you want to push for him to do anything that may injure him considering how fragile the guy is? No matter which perspective you view the ASG's in, you should not want Yao in it no matter what.
Let us not talk about basketball first. I have a personal question for you. As a Chinese, what drive you become such a HUGE Rockets fan and Yao hater? You born in Huston?
